The meeting was called to discuss Nashville in the context of events in Ferguson, Mo., where the shooting of an unarmed young black man has led to citywide demonstrations, clashes with police, and questions about the relationship between race and justice. In attendance were pastors, local elected officials, a hopeful of mayoral candidates and Metro Police Chief Steve Anderson, accompanied by commanders of each of the city's police precincts.

"We recognize that no city in America is immune from a similar event happening to us," Walker told the packed room, which spilled into the street. "I really believe that in a moment like this, it's important to have an honest dialogue about race, diversity."

That dialogue was wide-ranging and involved questions about racial profiling, diversity, the plight of black youths in the community and whether what happened in Ferguson could happen in Nashville.

The Rev. John Faison, pastor of Watson Grove Missionary Baptist Church, said his first visit to Nashville a few years ago involved racial profiling. He said he was driving a rental car when he was pulled over by an officer who said he threw a cigarette butt out his window.

Faison doesn't smoke.

"They used that to profile me, to pull me over," Faison said. "Welcome to Nashville."

But Faison, along with most of the crowd, gave Metro police a warm welcome. The audience lobbed questions instead of accusations, and Anderson spoke candidly — even about how poorly he believed police handled the events in Ferguson.

"Within an hour, there should have been some preliminary statement to the community," Anderson said. He said the name of the officer who shot Michael Brown, identified days later as Darren Wilson, should have been released much earlier as well.

Anderson said that officers in Nashville get yearly diversity training and that his office wants to hear about any complaints of unfair treatment or racial profiling. He said about 11 percent of sworn officers are black and he urged the black community, if that isn't enough, to encourage young men to consider careers in criminal justice.

A man with a group called Pacify Nashville, a group opposed to the militarization of police, asked Anderson about millions of dollars in military equipment and vehicles his department has acquired and whether they could be used similarly in Nashville as in Ferguson.

In response, Anderson said his department would never deploy such equipment on people protesting or demonstrating.

"That equipment would not be used in any matter that we talked about tonight," Anderson said. "I understand the concern, but whatever we have in terms of equipment would not be used in Nashville, unless absolutely necessary."

Walker said the town hall was a positive step, but only a first step to a larger goal. He hopes the effort, called "Nashville Unites," will turn into a permanent community think tank involving police, pastors, educators and leaders.

"This is only the beginning. Nashville Unites, I believe, will be an initiative that will be a game changer," Walker said to a roomful of "amens" in response. "Our work begins tomorrow."